Kevin Feige recently spoke about the future of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and plans to recast iconic Marvel roles in the evolving MCU. In a new press interview, he discussed long-term franchise plans and the potential reboot after Avengers: Secret Wars. He also explained the significance of introducing the X-Men to the MCU. According to Feige, this will mark a key turning point for new faces in classic roles.
Kevin Feige on when Marvel’s classic heroes will see new actors
Speaking at Marvel Studios’ Burbank headquarters, Kevin Feige confirmed the studio will eventually recast legacy roles like Iron Man and Captain America. “X-Men is where that will happen,” he stated (via Deadline).
Feige discussed the broader future of the MCU following Avengers: Secret Wars, confirming that Marvel intends to “reset singular timelines” and effectively reboot the universe. This reset would make room for new interpretations of classic characters. He noted that this approach aligns with other major film franchises that have introduced new actors in familiar roles across decades.
Feige revealed that he spoke with Robert Downey Jr. about playing a different character, Doctor Doom, prior to the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. “In fact, I had started talking with Robert about this audacious idea before Ant-Man 3 even came out,” Feige said. Downey Jr. is now set to portray the iconic villain in Avengers: Doomsday, replacing Kang the Conqueror as the central threat.
Feige affirmed Marvel’s focus on quality over quantity going forward. “We produced 50 hours of stories between 2007 and 2019,” he said. “But in the six years since ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ we’ve had well over 100 hours of stories — in half the time. That’s too much” (via Variety). Marvel will now produce one to three films annually, with reduced Disney+ output.
Regarding legacy character continuity, Feige said Marvel is open to bringing back actors from earlier films. “Where we have great actors playing great characters, I think it would be fun to see them in multiple places,” he explained.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.
